After a torrid season for injuries for Manchester United it is important to analyse the worst absences of the campaign.
Injuries have shaped the outcome of the season for Manchester United, robbing the team of many of their best stars and seriously limiting the side through the season.
Looking at the issues suffered by players there are some seriously costly absences with many players missing huge portions of the season.
Below we look at the players with the largest cumulative injuries. This means that it is the total days missed through the season rather than just one individual injury.
5/ Aaron Wan-Bissaka (Total 116 Days / 21 Games Missed)
The right back suffered two costly injuries this season adding to the defensive issues that the team suffered through the season.
His first issue was an early season hamstring injury that saw him ruled out for 44 days and miss 10 matches. Later in the second half of the season 72 days and 11 games were lost to an “Unknown Injury”.
Even with this extended time out the player managed 22 games in the Premier League and still posted some impressive data. The issue is that the player is not in the mould of the modern attacking defender.
He has outstanding defensive abilities, with some of the numbers being the best amongst Europe, however Erik ten Hag needs a creative defender.
4/ Mason Mount: (Total 147 Days / 27 Games Missed)
Mason Mount arrived in the summer of 2023 with high expectations due to the qualities he had shown at Chelsea. He was meant to revolutionise the midfield of Manchester United and help the team play on the front foot.
But injuries robbed the club of the player for most of the season. His troubles started with an unknown Injury right at the start of the season which saw him miss 37 Days and 6 Games.
This already put him on the backfoot to start the campaign. But then in November he suffered a serious Calf Injury that effectively ended his first season with 110 Days and 21 Games out.
3/ Lisandro Martinez: (Total 188 Days 42 Games Missed)
The loss of Lisandro Martinez was distinctly felt as Manchester United struggled to field a consistent backline through the season. 15 different defensive combinations were used as the side grappled with replacing Martinez.
The all important left centre back had one big injury and then subsequent related injuries that meant Martinez struggled to shake off issues. It start with a Foot Injury that ruled him out for 105 Days and 26 Games.
Then during his recovery he was twice injured with a knee Injury ( Out for 54 Days 10 Games) and finally a Calf Strain ( Out for 29 Days 6 Games).
2/ Luke Shaw: (Total 227 Days 34 Games Missed)
Unfortunately for player and club it was another season where the injury prone Luke Shaw was plagued from start to finish.
However it is arguable that Luke Shaw was mismanaged and so his second, more serious injury, was created by the player being overplayed.
After a serious Muscle Injury that saw him miss 92 Days and 16 games missed, Luke Shaw was not handled conservatively.
Instead, the player was thrust into an incredibly busy schedule and this seemingly brought about the serious muscle Injury that saw him almost miss the Euro’s with 135 Days out and 18 games missed.
1/ Tyrell Malacia: (Total 358 Days Out / 52 Games Missed)
The combination of Tyrell Malacia’s injury with Luke Shaw’s meant that for most of the season the club were without a left back. It led to the emergency loan of Sergio Reguilon, and also many questionable backlines.
For Tyrell Malacia it has been an incredibly frustrating period missing a whole season of football with lots of setbacks.
The issue ahead will be how to manage the player so that he can return to full fitness and does not get reinjured. Such an extended time out means that he will be extremely deconditioned and thus the side must be careful with how they manage the player.
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